Accessibility

Another important requirement to keep in mind while gathering user requirements is accessibility. Accessibility means equal access to computer software for everyone, including people with cognitive, hearing, physical, or visual disabilities (as well as left-handed people). In terms of software development, accessibility has two meanings. The first is to make the software as flexible as possible so that it can accommodate a wide range of users' needs. This use of "accessibility" is also referred to as universal design.

The second meaning of accessibility refers to making software compatible with assistive technologies used by people with disabilities. Depending on the eventual audience for your application, your users will likely include people with disabilities. The U.S. government estimates that more than 30 million people in the United States have a disability, and one person in five has some functional limitation. Worldwide, that number is even higher. In addition, millions of people suffer illness or injury that can cause a temporary impairment. Getting older, unfortunately, is not a temporary impairment, and as the population ages (and you know who you are), special accommodations for the gradual loss of visual acuity, hearing, and dexterity need to be made.

Many countries, including the United States, have regulations requiring accessibility for computer applications at some level. The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 requires the federal government to purchase computers, software, and electronic equipment that meet new standards for accessibility. In 1988, Microsoft became involved in accessibility issues and, since then, has worked hard to improve the accessibility of products and create new and better technologies that others can use as well.

Accessible design is also a requirement to receive the Certified for Windows logo. This program promotes accessible design and includes a set of requirements and a checklist for application developers. To receive the Certified for Windows logo, an accessible application must offer the following:

• Support Control Panel size, color, font, and input settings.

• Support High Contrast mode.

• Provide documented keyboard access to all features.

• Expose the location of the keyboard focus visually and programmatically.

• Avoid conveying important information by sound alone.

For an organization to develop a comprehensive set of accessibility requirements, the first steps are reviewing the organization's accessibility needs and evaluating the current technology being used. The users involved in this process are asked to complete a needs assessment, which outlines accessibility requirements from the perspectives of employees, the organization's processes, and current technology. The outlined requirements are integrated into the needs assessment with the organization's existing technology plan so that technology evaluations, purchase decisions, and development of new technologies take accessibility needs into consideration.

For some users, accessible technology could simply mean the ability to easily change font size, icon size, colors, sounds, and mouse cursor speed on their PCs. For others with more profound impairments, compatible assistive technology products need to be added to computer systems to allow access. Assistive technology products are specially designed products chosen specifically to accommodate a user's disability or multiple disabilities. These products can include anything from a different type of pointing device used in place of a mouse to a system equipped with a Braille display and screen reader, and are developed to work with a computer's operating system and software.

When determining where to incorporate accessibility features into the application, keep these general guidelines in mind:

• Use accessibility features in those areas that affect a large number of users or customers.

• Incorporate accessibility features in those parts of the application that your users will use frequently.

• Give special attention to including accessibility features in those portions of the application that are integral and necessary.

• Structure the application in such a way that it is compatible with accessibility aids.

• Incorporate Microsoft Active Accessibility 2.0 into the requirements. Although Microsoft Active Accessibility 2.0 is used mainly in the development phase and is not unique to .NET, it is a COM-based technology that improves the way accessibility aids work with applications running on Microsoft Windows operating systems. It provides dynamic link libraries that are incorporated into the operating system, a COM interface, and application programming elements that provide reliable methods for displaying information about user interface elements.

Another important consideration when gathering accessibility requirements is whether the application is Web-based. It is estimated that at least 8% of all Web users are disabled. A Web-based application with built-in accessibility has the potential to reach far more users than one without accessibility. People with disabilities are not the only users who appreciate accessible pages. Many users with slow connections or text-only browsers use user accessibility features when available. In the United States, the government has already enacted legislation to increase accessibility for those with disabilities. In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act. Known as Section 508, it requires that federal agencies' electronic and information technology be accessible to people with disabilities. Finally, following the precedent set by Section 508, future telecommunication regulations might require information distributed over the Internet to be accessible in the same manner as traditional software.

While proceeding through the requirements-gathering phase, remember that many system requirements might already have been available beginning with Windows 2000. The Accessibility Wizard makes it possible for administrators and users to set up computers with the most commonly used features and to customize those features for each user. For example, Narrator is a text-to-speech utility built into the operating system.